The Veldt by Ray Bradbury – Blackout Poem

Here is my blackout poem on the Veldt. I used Photoshop to create this poem. On page 28 of the book 1984 by George Orwell is where i found this poem.

Diego Maltes’s poem “Inevitable decline” explores the theme from Ray Bradbury’s The Veldt on how society is slowly being more and more disconnected from each others lives as technology advances satiate our obsession with technology. Maltes explores the idea of how rapidly advancing technology can lead to damaging repercussions especially with the existence of a “digital footprint”. He explores the idea of a digital footprint in which something said in the past can haunt you in the near future “the truth in tiny letter inscribed on books, banners, and the bath or in bed, no escape” alludes to we may perceive it to be something so minor yet it lives with us as we read, in our day to day life, even while taking a bath. It represents the powerhouse that is technology and how everything that you choose to put out will be saved and can be seen by anyone. The connection between this poem and the Veldt being the overwhelming reality of how technology can take over our day to day lives and as a direct result we become isolated, or in the context of the Veldt how the parents invest in technology that would ultimately raise their kids to which we can observe the abandonment that takes place. The imagery feels rather  absent however its almost like thats the point, as the poet touches on how technology kills creativity and if people are constantly on their devices they begin to lack experiencing the real world. With the use of literary devices to convey a deeper meaning Maltes uses a personification “wind flapped” and an alliteration “books, banners, and the bath or in bed. Ultimately this poem sparks new ideas of what can be done to repair our decline in social skills due to technology.

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